Performance management redefined
Performance management in the business field has evolved to be a procedure with conflicting goals which, most of the times ends up being confusing and costly. Initially developed for testing and improving employee productivity, it has become n sum of metric evaluation scores; talent decisions in effect and affirming the objectives that match individual career ambitions. The trick for organizations, is to straighten this process out and bring neatness in it so that purpose and practicality are served.
For performance management, the organizations should clearly define their goals. The focus should be on whether the aim is to gain insights into employee performance for better talent-related decisions or to enhance the employees’ performance itself. Blending these two goals can lead to confusion. The best practice is to split these goals into two different processes so that neither of them touches one another’s individual blessing as a method for ensuring each has been attended accurately.
In many organizations when it comes to performance measurement, people try their best through the attainment of employee performance data that can be utilized in effective talent management decisions. If the data you have produced is quantifiable and objective, it will be useful to demonstrate any trends that form part of your concern statement. But getting this type of clean-cut data for all workers is not always easy. Having top performers and associating the common traits or outcomes with such groups, organizations develop complex systems to quantify performance. Instead, these systems are complex and not representative of the actual workplace setting. There are more efficient ways of assessing an employee’s performance that involves easier and straightforward methods.
The underlying objective of performance measurement is to assess how an employee performs their work as best described by those that are most comfortable with them – supervisors. Since managers are in close cooperation with their employees, the latter can efficiently assess an employee’s performance regarding such aspects as work quality and timely task completion; necessary skill levels (knowledge about equipment); level of working within a team or relationship between themselves and leadership. These main aspects give a holistic picture of how an employee performs within the organization.
It may seem beneficial to ask questions about of all the aspects of an employee’s performance; however, focusing on some effective issues that directly inform talent management decisions makes the process simple and easy to manage. This method enables even greater and more systematic data collection. The key is not in the sophisticated evaluation regime, but by a straightforward measurement practice.
The question of improving performance is not confined to the issue of measuring it. Measurement may reveal potential areas for improvement but however does not always result in actual efficiency. Performance management should be about active and relevant discussions between managers and employees, who focus mainly on their current values in terms of priorities, needs, interests but exactly concerning her work. This method has been consistently successful in meeting the above benefits and can be seen in companies that advocated for regular check-ins between managers and their employees, highlighting on strengths while recognizing individuality.
